Geneva panel again rejects request to demolish historic blacksmith shop

The Geneva Historic Preservation Commission unanimously denied a third request Tuesday from developer Shodeen to demolish a circa-1840 former blacksmith shop after a 90-minute public hearing.

Meanwhile, David Patzelt, president of the Shodeen Group, said in an email the next day that the company had submitted an appeal to the Geneva City Council to overturn the denial.

“There continues to be a disconnect in where the Commission believes that the property owner must repair and rebuild the historic structure at their expense,” Patzelt’s email stated. “This simply is not the case.”

The Mill Race Land Company LLC — another entity created by Geneva developer Shodeen — sought demolition for the remnant limestone structure at 4 E. State St. under a provision in the city’s historic preservation code: “The retention of a building, structure, object, improvement, or site is not in the best interest of the majority of the community.”

Located on the 1.4-acre former Mill Race Inn property, the building’s condition and future have been at the center of a battle now in its eighth year.

In short, Shodeen maintains that the site can’t be redeveloped unless the former blacksmith shop is removed.

City officials say that Shodeen has offered nothing in the way of a redevelopment plan for that site, with or without the blacksmith shop.

Shodeen rallied community members to send some 60-plus letters to the commission in support of demolition, calling the former shop an eyesore that’s holding up redevelopment.

“Whether it’s email traffic or telephone calls asking for something to be done for the structure to be taken down,” Patzelt said at Tuesday’s hearing, “I am before you for the third time, not bringing any better news than the other two times.”

Patzelt said nobody has come forward to buy the old building or renovate it, and the cost to do work on the property would be more than what it’s worth.

“What is in the best interest of the community at large?” Patzelt said. “Perhaps it is time to say that we need to move on.”

Some commissioners said nothing has been accomplished at the site since the panel previously voted against demolition. They added that the owner didn’t submit proposals for development or protect the building from the elements.

“Shodeen has done nothing except drag the city into hearings and courts and questioned the HPC’s decision,” Commissioner Kevin Phillips said. “And in the meantime, (Shodeen) has allowed that building to deteriorate ... to the point where now maybe many people in the community view it as an eyesore. And that’s really the basis of your petition here before us today. ... It is based on an eyesore that you’ve created.”

The public weighed in, both in support of demolition and of preserving the former blacksmith shop.

Herb Nachreiner of Elgin Township urged the commission to approve the demolition.

“Every time I invite one of my friends out here to have dinner with us at one of these restaurants, they invariably ask me, ‘When are they going to get rid of that piece of junk next to the river?’” Nachreiner said.

Al Watts, of Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, made a plea for preserving the structure.

“Geneva’s brand is built around this purpose of preserving history and historic places,” Watts said. “It’s made Geneva a unique place to live and work.”

Watts said he believes the majority of the community wants the site redeveloped.

“The real question is whether or not the majority of the community prefers ... the blacksmith shop to be part of that redevelopment,” Watts said. “That does not seem to be clear.”